History Month

Camden County History Month to Feature More Than Fifty History Events

Camden NJ—The Camden County History Alliance invites the public to join us for Camden County History Month from October 1 to October 31, 2024, when around thirty participating historic sites and history organizations throughout Camden County will be open with special exhibits, reenactments, and guided tours for adults and children, both in-person and virtual, spanning centuries of history. The vast majority of the more than fifty events and activities during the month are free.

Remember Camden County’s heroes of the past at the Haddon Township Historical Society’s exhibit on “Haddon Township During World War II: Our Women in the Military and Our Community Support of the War Effort” on October 5. Take a walk for a meaningful cause at the March of Remembrance on October 13, joining Holocaust survivors to combat hate, and then join the Esther Raab Holocaust Museum & Goodwin Education Center for a talk on “Not to be Silenced: Speaking Out Against Rising Antisemitism.” Learn about the Battle of Gettysburg with the Old Baldy Civil War Round Table on October 10 (also available by zoom). Heroes of the local community will be honored at the Waterford Township Historical Society’s exhibit “Salute to Our First Responders: Police Department Memorabilia” at the library all month long, while the Somerdale Historical Society will celebrate the Somerdale Fire Department’s 100^th Anniversary with an open house on October 19.

Discover Camden County’s African American history by attending an Underground Railroad Workshop hosted by the Lawnside Historical Society on October 10 (also available by zoom), or participate in a walking tour of what was once a vibrant African-American neighborhood in the 1800s with The Preserving Black Haddonfield History Project on October 19 ($10 donation suggested). Attend the opening reception of the “Black Baseball in New Jersey” exhibit at the Camden County Historical Society on October 19. Finally, celebrate the Lawnside Historical Society’s 34^th Anniversary and the work of the Benson Multicultural Museum on October 26 ($80 tickets).

Visitors will have the opportunity to tour several historic buildings from across three centuries throughout the county during October. Tours of the historic 1825 Collings-Knight House will be offered on October 5, and the colonial Burrough-Dover House in Pennsauken will be open on October 6. Food Preparation of the past will be highlighted at the 1756 Gabreil Daveis Tavern Museum on October 13 and October 27, with tours led by the Gloucester Township Historic & Scenic Preservation Committee. Haddonfield Friends Meeting will discuss the history of Quakerism and offer tours of the historic graveyard on October 5, while the oldest church in Camden City, Newton Friends Meetinghouse, can be toured on October 6. The much more ornate St. Joseph’s Polish Catholic Church from the early 20^th century can be toured on October 12.

For those who enjoy the riverfront, Gloucester City Sail will offer a free sail on the Schooner North Wind on October 12, followed by an open house. Tour the Battleship New Jersey in Camden, which will offer buy one, get one free tickets on Wednesdays in October ($20-$30 tickets). Attend the open house at the Camden Shipyard & Maritime Museum on October 26 to view films about shipbuilding and sailing in the new GeoDome Theatre.

Railroad enthusiasts will enjoy visiting the Historic Berlin Railroad Depot, built in 1856, which will be open for tours on October 19, and the Magnolia Train Station will also be open on October 19 with exhibits on the Magnolia Methodist Church. On October 28, the West Jersey Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society will host a presentation on “Electric Trains, Trolleys, and Light Rail” at the Audubon Senior Center (also available by zoom).

Fans of Walt Whitman can attend a Meet & Greet with Walt Whitman at the Whitman Stafford Farmhouse on October 19. The farmhouse will also be open for tours on October 8 & 22. The Walt Whitman House in Camden will be hosting special tours highlighting “Walt Whitman’s Camden” on Fridays and Saturdays in October.

Families will enjoy several fall festivals at historic locations in October. The Barclay Farmstead Museum in Cherry Hill will host a Pumpkin Festival on October 5 with activities for all ages. Also on October 5, the Indian King Tavern Museum will host David Darwin’s One-Man Sideshow with circus acts for the whole family to enjoy. The Camden County Historical Society will offer bottle-lantern making on October 2, in preparation for a Harvest Fall Festival on October 12.

For those looking for Halloween-themed activities, the Historical Society of Haddonfield will offer Haunted Haddonfield Walking Tours on Friday and Saturday evenings, October 11-26 (tickets $25). The Gloucester Township Historic & Scenic Preservation Committee will sponsor a Halloween Paranormal Night on October 12 at the Gabreil Daveis Tavern Museum (tickets $25). The Barrington Historical Society will host A Night with (a Nephew of) the Jersey Devil, featuring author Bill Sprouse on October 15.

Several other historical societies will also have special events during this month. The Merchantville Historical Society’s 150^th Anniversary Sesquicentennial Video will be viewable on their facebook page throughout the month. The Clementon Historical Commission will be open on October 16 at the Clementon Library, and the Winslow Township History Center will be open on October 13 and October 27. The Camden County Historical Society will turn pink and host a Breast Cancer March on October 20. Attend the Audubon Historical Society’s meeting on October 17, or the Haddon Heights Historical Society’s meeting on October 21. There are plenty of opportunities to explore our history!

Camden County History Month is hosted by the Camden County History Alliance, an association of over 50 Camden County history organizations, historic sites, and support agencies. The History Alliance was created in 2016 to identify resources, increase the number of visitors, and institute projects that promote Camden County heritage. The Camden County Historical Society manages the work of the History Alliance.

A full list of all the over 50 events during Camden County History Month, with hours and locations, is available on www.camdencountyhistoryalliance.com. Schedule is subject to change. Visit our facebook page at www.facebook.com/camdencountyhistoryalliance for additional details and updates, or pick up an event guide from any of the historic sites or at the Camden County Historical Society at 1900 Park Boulevard in Camden.